‘Trese’ creator Budjette Tan shares inspiration behind the comics

“Trese” caught everyone’s attention with the release of its exciting trailer last week, but what was the inspiration behind it?

In an interview with GMA News last year, “Trese” co-creator Budjette Tan shared that the comics came about because he thought Manila felt like such a mythological place.

According to Tan, he grew up in an environment where people observed several dos and don’ts to avoid harm from creatures such as ghosts and elves or “duende.”

“You need to say ‘tabi-tabi po’ if you see a mound of dirt near a tree, or hang garlic on your window because there might be an ‘aswang’ outside,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Growing up and seeing and hearing these stories, I couldn’t help but feel like Manila is such a magical and very dangerous place,” he added.

As a fan of several animated series, including “Voltes V,” “Mazinger Z” and “Ghost in the Shell,” Tan said “Trese” was a “mashup of all of my influences and favorite heroes,” and more.

Tan said he wanted to show more of the lesser known side of Philippine culture, which included the mythological creatures such as the “tikbalang.”

From publishing “Trese” as comics to it being released the Philippines’ first Netflix original anime show, Tan said this was a chance to introduce to the world the magical side of being a Filipino.

“I think we have such rich mythology and it’s something that I think will be fascinating, not just [for] Pinoys but [for] the rest of the world,” he said.

“When the world hears about it, they’re gonna ask their Filipino friends,” he added. “That’s a sense of pride that we can have when we do tell or put a spotlight on Filipino mythology.”

“Trese” is an anime series based on the Filipino fantasy and crime-horror comic book of the same title created by Tan and Kajo Baldisimo.

Tan said he hoped the series would give a whole new perspective of Manila to Filipinos.

“When they [watch] ‘Trese,’ they can see the city again from the eyes of Trese and start wondering, ‘oh, this corner that I always stand and wait for the jeepney, is there a diwata in this tree or is there a nuno under the manhole?’” he said.

“If they can see the city again in a magical way, then I guess the stories have worked and that they are able to pick up something that would make living in Manila more interesting again.”

“Trese” will premiere on Netflix June 11.  – Franchesca Viernes/RC, GMA News